Lando Calrissian

Once a smooth-talking smuggler, Lando Calrissian changed from a get-rich-quick schemer to a selfless leader in the fight against the Empire. From adventures with the Ghost crew of rebels to the attack on Death Star II, his quick wit and daring proved to be invaluable.

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Invited for refreshments in the Cloud City dining room, Han, Leia and Chewie quickly realize they have been trapped by Darth Vader, who arrived ahead of the Rebels with information provided by Boba Fett. Lando agreed to the Empire's scheme in exchange for

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After joining the Rebel Alliance, Lando was promoted to General and asked to lead the starfighter attack on the new Death Star. Knowing that his friend could use all the help he can get, Han urges Lando to pilot the Millennium Falcon into battle.

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The original smooth-talking smuggler, Lando Calrissian, returns in the Star Wars Rebels episode “Idiot’s Array.” In this special behind-the-scenes video, the creators of Star Wars Rebels, and Lando himself – Billy Dee Williams – discuss bringing the fan-favorite character back to a galaxy far, far away.

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GALLERY //

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QUOTES //

“Why you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler!”

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“This deal is getting worse all the time.”

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

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"Come on, Han old buddy, don’t let me down!”

RETURN OF THE JEDI

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HISTORY //

THE DARK TIMES

At the popular Lothal cantina, Old Jho's, Lando Calrissian engaged in a high-stakes game of sabacc with Zeb Orrelios of the Ghost crew. The hot-headed Lasat, confident in his hand, bet his rebel crew's droid, Chopper. Lando, however, had an Idiot's Array, shocking Zeb. "Name's Calrissian. Lando Calrissian," he said. "Now introduce me to my new droid."

While Lando had rightfully won the astromech, he agreed to return Chopper -- and pay extra -- for passage past Lothal's Imperial blockade to a secret meeting. The rebels agreed, though they were dubious of their new companion. Sure enough, when the group rendezvoused with crime lord Azmorigan, Lando offered up Hera, captain of the Ghost, in exchange for a mysterious package containing, of all things, a puffer pig. The crew was furious, but the smooth-talking smuggler claimed that he had hinted to Hera that she could escape via a pod. The Twi'lek eventually did, though she thanked Calrissian with a swift punch to the gut upon reconnecting with the Ghost.

Finally, the team took Lando back to his Lothal property. He explained that a puffer pig can detect more precious minerals than a dozen mining scanners, making it quite valuable. But before he could settle with the rebels, Azmorigan and his henchmen emerged. The gangster wanted revenge on Calrissian, and the two sides battled fiercely. Hera gained the upper hand on Azmorigan, and demanded he leave -- or die. The crime lord agreed, and with the ordeal over, Lando returned Chopper to the team. "'Til we meet again," he said, as they blasted off.

GALACTIC CIVIL WAR

Lando Calrissian spent a happily misspent youth as a smuggler and gambler, traveling the galaxy in his starship, the Millennium Falcon -- which he lost to his friend Han Solo in a sabacc game that may or may not have been fair. After his smuggling days Lando turned respectable, becoming administrator of Cloud City, a Tibanna gas installation in the atmosphere of the planet Bespin. But Lando hadn’t gone entirely legitimate -- Cloud City was a small operation whose backers preferred to avoid the attention of the Empire. Lando’s days as a businessman came to an end when Darth Vader arrived, accompanied by stormtroopers and Boba Fett. Vader was hunting Han and the crew of the Falcon, and told Lando they’d soon arrive on Cloud City. He offered Lando a bleak choice: set a trap for his old friend or face the Empire’s wrath. Lando welcomed Han when he arrived and agreed to help repair the Falcon’s hyperdrive – but then turned him and his companions over to Vader. After Vader repeatedly reneged on their deal, though, Lando had had enough, and decided to switch sides. He rescued Princess Leia and Chewbacca from the Empire and tried to save Han from Fett’s clutches. The bounty hunter got away with his prize, but Lando helped the others reach safety with the rebel fleet and joined Chewbacca in the search for Solo.

Flying with Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian discovered that Boba Fett had taken Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt’s palace on Tatooine. Posing as a thug for hire, Lando infiltrated the palace. He watched anxiously as the droids, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and Luke Skywalker arrived and were taken into custody, but knew it wasn’t time to reveal himself. Still in disguise, Lando accompanied Jabba’s sail barge to the Great Pit of Carkoon for the rebels’ execution. On Luke’s signal, he joined the fight to free their friends and bring Jabba’s criminal career to an end. Having kept his promise to save Han, Lando then remained in the rebel ranks, serving as a general in the starfighter attack on the second Death Star. Han lent Lando the Millennium Falcon for this dangerous mission, and Lando showed off his superb piloting skills, guiding the freighter into the Death Star superstructure and reaching the main reactor. He fired proton torpedos into the reactor and raced out of the battle station’s innards just before it exploded, breaking the Empire’s stranglehold on the galaxy.

Related //

Hoping to crush the Rebellion once and for all, the Empire began construction of a second dreaded Death Star near Endor. But the project ran behind schedule; Death Star II was only half-finished, and the Emperor himself visited to oversee its completion.

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Suspended high among the pastel clouds of Bespin is a floating metropolis of sophisticated beauty and political freedom. Cloud City exists not only as a mining colony, extracting valuable Tibanna gas from the depths of the giant planet, but also as a sanctuary for those trying to escape the turmoil gripping the galaxy. Though profitable, Cloud City is small enough not to be noticed by larger authorities such as the Mining Guild. It prospered under the capable stewardship of Baron-Administrator Lando Calrissian. Calrissian, assisted by his aide Lobot, contended with self-sufficiency issues and labor difficulties throughout his brief term.

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Smuggler. Scoundrel. Hero. Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon, was one of the great leaders of the Rebel Alliance. He and his co-pilot Chewbacca came to believe in the cause of galactic freedom, joining Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa in the fight against the Empire.

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A legendary starship despite its humble origins and deceptively shabby exterior, the Millennium Falcon has played a role in some of the Rebel Alliance's greatest victories over the Empire. On the surface, the Falcon looks like a worn down junker. Beneath its hull, however, she packs many powerful secrets. Its owners have made "special modifications" on the freighter throughout the years, boosting its speed, shielding, and performance to impressive -- and downright illegal -- levels. The Falcon pays a heavy price for these tricks and add-ons. It can be unpredictable, and its reconditioned hyperdrive often fails. Its current captain, Han Solo, has even been seen to restart a failed start-up with a hard knock on a bulkhead with his fist.

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Nien Nunb is a small, jowled, mouse-eyed native of Sullust, the world that served as the staging area for the Alliance Fleet prior to the Battle of Endor. Nunb was co-pilot to Lando Calrissian aboard the Millennium Falcon during that historic event. Many of his fellow Sullustans also served as Alliance starfighter pilots in the battle. Nunb spoke the liquid, chattering tongue of the Sullustans, a language Lando understood.

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Princess Leia Organa was one of the Rebel Alliance’s greatest leaders, fearless on the battlefield and dedicated to ending the tyranny of the Empire. Daughter of Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, sister of Luke Skywalker, and with a soft spot for scoundrels, Leia ranks among the galaxy’s great heroes.